Broken Rules
by AJ and Sebastian Goin
Summary: Gibbs has had enough of the bickering. The entire fic is T except for one chapter which is well marked. First NCIS fic. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

AN: If you've never read anything by me before, I encourage you to read my profile (it's short, I swear). This idea popped into my head while I was out of town this weekend. Seeing as I'm now home and it's still there, I just have to write it. Originally, I was thinking it was going to be a one-shot, but since it's going to be longer I decided to have some fun with the POV, something I experimented with in my last story as well. I am going to do my best to actually write this entire thing and get it up before 10x20 airs tomorrow since it seems as though that might change things further.

MN: I forgot how exhausting it was to deal with AJ hanging out with her big sis. I'm exhausted and going to bed. She can take full responsibility for this drabble.

Disclaimer: If I owned NCIS, things would be so much different.

Dedication: For JenJen who encourages me.

Spoilers: Minor through current.

UPDATE: I decided to add a list of the rules that I used in this story as chapter 8 so you can reference them easily. I suggest pulling them up in a new tab so you can click back and forth as you read.

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"That's it." Gibbs slammed his fist down on his desk causing the two agents bickering in front of it to jump apart and turn toward him.

"Boss?" Of course DiNozzo couldn't see anything wrong with his behavior.

Gibbs stood, moving into the space between the two agents' desks and bodies. He glared at Tony first, then turned to stare down Ziva. "I've had it. I thought you two were finally growing up but the last two weeks all you've done is squabble. At the crime scene, at interviews, hell you got into it in interrogation! Grab your gear and come with me."

As the pair scrambled for their bags and sidearms, he turned toward the remaining member of his team. "McGee, make sure everyone's paperwork gets submitted and go home."

"Yes, Boss." At least one of his agents knew how to listen and follow instructions.

He retrieved his own gun and bag and stalked toward the elevator, confident that DiNozzo and David would be right behind him. The elevator ride and following walk to his truck were completed in silence. He tossed his gear in the bed and glared at the pair of his subordinates until they did the same.

Once all three were squished onto the bench seat of the cab, Ziva between himself and Tony, Gibbs started the engine and pulled out. He knew exactly where he was going. It was just where he'd intended to spend the weekend himself, but now he was going to have to sacrifice his retreat. He'd driven the same path dozens of times, so he let his mind wander as he drove. Besides, when his mind wandered he came off as contemplative and he knew the idea of him thinking made DiNozzo uncomfortable.

Not as uncomfortable as things were getting in his bullpen, however. He didn't know what had happened, but it needed fixed. It had been better for a while. Then Tony had killed Rivkin and it had gotten really bad. Even after he'd gone after her in Somalia things were tense. Slowly, the tension had eased. Then, after the bombing, it had almost been like the two had matured by a decade. Until whatever had happened two weeks ago. He'd tried to ignore it. He had known for years that the pair had some unresolved…something. He wasn't sure exactly what it was, but he knew that to resolve it they were going to have to break rules. And at this point, he didn't care. They were already breaking Rule 15. What was one more?

DiNozzo and David were two of the best agents he'd ever met individually. But, together, they were a force. Their case closure record spoke for itself, even when he'd left and Tony had been in charge. But if either of them were absent, the team struggled. They pushed one another. And it worked. Usually.

The competitiveness between the pair was usually an advantage, but they were now moving past competition, past the animosity they had had previously and were now approaching full-fledged malice. It was affecting their work. Hell, it was affecting the work of half of NCIS.

After a two hour drive which probably should have taken much longer, Gibbs slowed the truck to a stop and shifted into park before getting out. By the time Ziva's boots crunched onto the gravel, he had grabbed DiNozzo's bag and thrown it at him. Taking the hint, his partner hurried to grab her own backpack.

He stared at the agents, making eye contact with one then the other. "There's food inside the cabin. No cell service. I'll be back for you on Sunday evening and if you aren't being civil to each other by then, I'll shoot you both myself."

He pitched a set of keys in their general direction before he climbed back behind the wheel, shifted into gear, and pulled out, kicking up dust and gravel in his wake.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Turns out I wasn't going to get any sleep anyway. We're getting one heck of a thunderstorm and my cats are freaking out. My big one has always been scared of thunder and this may be the loudest storm my kitten has ever experienced. Anyways, this isn't going to be a long fic. The number of chapters will make it seem longer but they're really very short.

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Tony watched as the pickup truck disappeared back down the neglected gravel road they had arrived on. He didn't have to check to know Gibbs wasn't lying about the phone service, or shooting them. Rule 7. If he'd been lying, it would have been more detailed.

He sighed loudly and walked toward the cabin, stooping to scoop the keys from the ground on his way. He unlocked the door and swung it open, cringing at the creaking of the hinges. The sun was almost set and the small grimy windows let little light into the building. He groped at the wall, but was unsurprised when he couldn't locate a light switch. He pulled a flashlight from his backpack and clicked it on, sweeping the beam across the room.

An oil lamp sat on a scarred wood table between two worn armchairs. After dropping his bag beside the door, he crossed to the lamp and lit it then turned off his flashlight to conserve the battery. He looked around again and saw two more of the lamps and quickly got them burning as well.

Once the room was fully lit he took a good look. The pair of chairs was situated directly across from the door in front of a fireplace. There was a couch opposite it across a coffee table. A small stack of wood was next to the hearth.

To the left was a small kitchenette and dining table. Tony shook his head. Gibbs would be the one to have a cabin wired with electricity for a refrigerator, coffee maker, and stove but not lights or climate control.

The right side of the cabin contained a four post bed and dresser. The bed was covered in a hand-made quilt that matched the one draped on the back of the couch. There was a door in the corner that he prayed led to a bathroom with running water.

He felt her presence before he heard her boots on the wood floor and he suddenly realized he was in his own personal hell. He couldn't deal with this. With _her_.

He'd been content with the way things had ended up. Then she'd had to change the rules on him again.

"Tony?"

He didn't turn to face her. He didn't trust himself to. "What, David?"

When she responded she sounded hurt. "I…are you hungry? I could fix dinner?"

For an instant he felt like an ass. Then he remembered why they were here in the first place and guilt was replaced by anger. "No."

He spun on his heel and brushed past her, grabbing the axe next to the door as he walked through it. He knew there would be a pile of firewood somewhere outside and it was going to get cold tonight. He moved around the side of the cabin and found the supply sheltered under an awning.

There was a stump that was obviously used for chopping nearby and he felt suddenly relieved. The idea of driving himself to the point of physical exhaustion was comforting. He had hardly slept in the past two weeks. If he had to be stuck here with her for two days he wanted to spend as much of it as possible asleep.

He stripped off his jacked and rolled up the sleeves of his button up shirt then selected a piece of wood and laid it on the stump. He raised the axe and brought it around and down in one smooth movement. The log split with a satisfying crack and Tony quickly positioned one of the halves then repeated the movement.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I really have nothing to say just now. Weird for me, I know.

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Ziva threw her bag down next to his as hard as she could then kicked it for good measure. He was going to go back to ignoring her. At least when they were fighting he acknowledged her existence. Those two days when he hadn't so much as looked in her direction had been nearly unbearable for her.

She sighed as she crossed the cabin to the kitchen. Despite what he had said he'd be hungry soon. She knew he hadn't had lunch. Neither of them had. And he wasn't much of a breakfast person so he likely hadn't eaten in 24 hours.

That thought made her pause. She wasn't sure when she had eaten last either. She knew McGee had dropped a sandwich on her desk yesterday at around 1300. That may have been the last thing she'd consumed. She was too preoccupied with figuring out how to break Rule 6 to worry about eating.

She slammed the refrigerator closed harder than was necessary. This was not entirely her fault. She had been trying to talk to him for two weeks. But every time she started, he would pick a fight with her. Or walk away. Or simply ignore her very existence.

She had screwed up. She had screwed up badly. But she was trying to fix it and he wouldn't even give her a chance.

Distracted by her internal monologue, Ziva cooked on autopilot. Dinner was nearly ready when he walked back in. He was dirty and sweaty and looked ready to drop.

He took the armload of wood he was carrying to the fireplace and dropped it on the floor then repeated the trip several more times. Once he had enough wood to last through the night inside he dropped to his knees next to it and began stacking it next to the fireplace.

She was dishing up their food as he finished, raising himself from the floor then dropping himself into one of the armchairs. She added a fork to each plate of chicken, rice, and broccoli and picked both up, walking to join him. She set a plate beside him and crossed to the couch, curling herself into the corner furthest from him.

She started eating, but watched him as best she could without being obvious. He was staring at the plate and she could almost hear the internal debate in the lengthy pause before he picked it up. He ate with a fervor that told her she was right about it having been too long since he'd eaten.

Once they were both finished, she collected his plate with hers and took them into the kitchen. She placed them in the sink and grabbed a pair of beers from the fridge before returning to the living room area.

She set the bottles on the coffee table and moved to the fireplace. The temperature in the cabin was dropping rapidly and neither of them were dressed very warmly. She got a fire going fairly quickly. As she turned she caught sight of the bathroom door closing.

Just when she was ready to give up on him letting the walls between them down she glanced at the table. There was a single open bottle of beer and two bottle caps on the weathered wood.

She retrieved the bottle and resumed her spot on the couch. As she raised the beer to her lips she heard the sound of water running. He'd taken the oil lamp from the table with him, but the fire was brighter than it had been anyway, lighting the majority of the cabin by itself.

By the time the water turned off her bottle was drained and back on the table. By the time she heard the bathroom door open she'd extinguished the remaining pair of lamps, retrieved a second pair of the cold brews, opened them, and placed one back on the coffee table.

She heard his back drop to the floor by the dresser then his soft footsteps padding back around the couch. As he entered the soft light of the fire she allowed herself a moment to just look at him. He was free of the dirt that had smudged his cheeks before and his hair was damp. He'd exchanged his usual work attire for a pair of loose fitting sweatpants and an old Peoria PD t-shirt that was faded and looked soft.

He sat back in the same chair he'd eaten in and picked up the beer, raising it to his lips and taking a long pull. They sat in silence for several minutes before he spoke and it was so soft that she almost wondered if she'd imagined it. "Thanks."

"Thanks for the firewood." She shifted in her seat as they lapsed back into silence, both focusing intently on their drinks. The next time he spoke his voice was loud enough to dispel any doubts that it was real.

"So good news: we have running water, washcloths and soap. Bad news, water's ice cold and there's no shower."

The snort of laughter that slipped from her surprised them both. "Typical Gibbs. Has cold beer but not hot water."

She saw the smile that touched his lips before he wiped the emotion from his face again and it gave her hope. She drained the beer in her hand and set the bottle down before standing.

She moved toward the door and picked up her bag then crossed to the bathroom. Tony had left the oil lamp lit on the counter and she took it as another positive sign from him. Once inside with the door closed she took a deep breath. She was trying not to push him. The harder she pushed the more he'd shut down or push back, and that would get them nowhere.

She scrubbed her face, brushed her hair out and donned her pajamas. Digging in her bag she found her travel toothbrush but couldn't locate the toothpaste. The only things Tony had left in the bathroom were his toothbrush and toothpaste. She used his toothpaste to brush her teeth and rinsed her mouth and toothbrush in the icy water.

She opened the door then stifled the lamp before exiting. She dropped her bag next to his then retrieved a pair of socks from it. The floor was cold against her bare feet and the shorts she wore left her legs exposed to the cool air.

"You still have that?"

His question made her jolt to look at him. He was staring at her chest and she looked down, realizing in an instant what he was talking about. She was wearing the Baltimore PD t-shirt he'd loaned to her almost 5 years prior when a suspect had pegged her with a fistful of mud.

She chose her words carefully. The last thing she wanted was to push him back away. "It's very comfortable."

He seemed to accept her explanation and his gaze dropped back to the pillow in his hand. He dropped it at one end of the couch and pulled the blanket from the back. She crossed to him as he was unfolding it and placed a hand on it gently. "Take the bed, Tony. Your back has to be killing you after chopping all of that wood."


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Finally I get to write the scene that originally popped into my head! Or at least part of it. I'm not entirely sure. For some reason my fics have a tendency to take on a life of their own.

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Tony forced himself to breathe through the tightness in his chest. She was entirely too close to him. "It's fine, Ziva."

He stepped back and continued to unfold the thick quilt. She moved and he thought she was going to walk past him to the bed but she grabbed the blanket instead.

"Don't be stubborn. Sleep in the bed."

In an instant he was furious again. "Did you ever consider that maybe I _want_ to sleep on the couch? Who am I kidding; since when do you consider what I want?"

He wasn't surprised in the least when she slapped him. He threw the blanket onto the couch with one hand and caught her wrist with the other. "Did I strike a nerve, Agent David?"

In an instant, he hit the floor hard and she was on top of him. His back ached in protest, already sore from chopping the wood. She glared at him. "Aren't you the one who taught me Rule 16, Agent DiNozzo? Did you not think I would apply it to you?"

He used the adrenaline rush from a new surge of anger to flip her off of him, pinning her beneath his body. "I figured you forgot that when you forgot Rule 1."

"Never let suspects stay together?" He hated it when she was sarcastic. He used it as a defense mechanism or a joke; she used it as an attack.

"Never screw over your partner. But you knew what I meant didn't you?" He rolled off of her and to his feet.

Assuming they were done was, apparently, a mistake. She was on her feet a second after him and shoved him. "And how exactly do you think I screwed you over, Tony?"

He spun around and stepped toward her with enough force that she stepped back. "How did you screw me over, Ziva?"

He took another step and so did she. "After six months of the closest friendship we've ever had you showed up at my door at 2am crying."

Step, step. "And when I let you in, you kissed me."

Step, step. "The way I had wanted you to kiss me for years."

Step, step. "And you practically dragged me to my bed."

Step, step. "And you let me make_ love_ to you."

Step, step. "And I fell asleep with you in my arms."

Her back was to the wall now so his next step brought them within two feet of one another. "And when I woke up you were gone, Ziva. No note, no phone call, no text message."

He took one final step, their bodies now separated by a hair's width. "You want to know how you screwed me over? You made it impossible for me to keep ignoring the fact that I've been in love with you for a long time. Then you broke my heart."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth he felt deflated. Anger gave way to hurt. He refused to let her see him cry so he stepped back and turned away, intent on returning to the couch. Before he could take a second step her hand caught his.

Her yank turned him back toward her and he focused his eyes on the floor, willing himself not to meet her stare.

"Tony, please." Her voice contained a raw emotion he wasn't expecting and he couldn't help it. His face rose.

What he saw surprised him and shattered him at the same time. There were tears trickling down her cheeks and, despite his own pain, he lifted the hand she wasn't grasping to wipe them away. "What, Ziva? What else could you possibly have to say?"

When her voice came it was quiet. He barely heard her over the pounding of his heart and the popping of the fire. "I'm sorry, Tony. I was not trying to hurt you."

His own voice was soft in response, as much as he wanted to yell at her again. "Well that's what you did. And I don't even get to know why."

She stared at him in silence for a long minute then closed her eyes and slid down the wall, dropping his hand. He turned to walk away again, but it was her voice that stopped him this time.

"Fear."

Sighing, he stepped beside her and sank down next to her. "You're a ninja. You're not scared of anything."

"I'm scared of this. You. Us."

This time when he took her hand it was gentle. He entwined his fingers with hers. "What are you scared of, Ziva?"

Her hand tightened in his. "I'm scared of losing you, Tony. With everything else I've lost, I couldn't handle that. You're all the home I have left."

Her voice had cracked on the last few words and the tears were flowing now. He released her hand to wrap his arm around her and pulled her tight against his side. "I've got news for you, David. You're stuck with me. You're all the home I've really ever had…And I told you years ago. I couldn't live without you."

He felt the release in her body before he heard the sobs start wracking her frame. He pulled her into his lap and wrapped both arms firmly around her and finally let go of his own tears as well.


	5. Chapter 5

_***WARNING*MATURE CONTENT***_

AN: This is the chapter that's both touching and just a little smutty. The first bit is the touching part so if you want to read that but not the smut, I highly suggest you move on to Chapter 6 at first mention on the word "ear". I'm hauling Sebby out of bed for this one. For the record, I've been writing about 5 hours right now (there's been a certain amount of looking things up and seeing something shiny on the internet interspersed there) and I don't have a beta so I'm going to go ahead and apologize for the mistakes I know will be somewhere in this thing. Also, I spent quite a bit of time looking up the Hebrew bit, but if one of you actually knows Hebrew and I am wrong, please PM me so I can correct it.

MN: Okay, okay. I'm up. Although, I'm not sure why my presence is entirely necessary for the writing of smut from a female's perspective. Anyway, blahblahblah if you're not of age and/or easily offended by sexual content, please skip to the next chapter.

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She must still be asleep. Still dreaming. That was the only explanation for why she was waking up with the feel of a warm arm around her. Then the distinctive smell of his soap registered in her nostrils and her eyes flew open.

In an instant the memory rushed back to her. The fight. Her confession. Him cradling her in his lap as they cried together. She must have fallen asleep there, but now she was lying in the bed. She was on her side and Tony was behind her, one arm looped around her waist and the other under the pillow beneath her head.

She moved to turn toward him but his body tensed, tightening his arm around her. "I'm not going anywhere, Tony."

His embrace relaxed and she rolled to face him. In the flickering light of the fire she could see his face. It didn't look like he'd been asleep, which meant he'd been awake watching her. She slid one hand out from under the covers to cup his cheek. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

The wavering light made his hazel eyes seem darker. And the look on his face was so intense that she had to fight the urge to pull back. His voice was low, but no longer as fragile as it had sounded earlier. "I'm half afraid that if I fall asleep, I'll wake up and you'll have been a dream. And I need you to be real."

Her chest ached at his words. She hadn't realized how badly she'd hurt him. She moved her head to close the small gap between them and brought her lips gently to his.

The night she'd found herself awake in the middle of the night feeling alone and gone to him, their kisses had been frantic. Needy. Now, she kissed him gently, slowly. She savored the sensation.

Ziva let Tony set the pace, be in control. When his tongue slid over her lips she parted them and welcomed it in to her mouth. His taste was intoxicating to her. It wasn't as though she didn't know how his mouth tasted. They had kissed seven years ago when they were under cover and she'd been fascinated by his flavor then. It hadn't changed in the more than half a decade since.

When he pulled his lips from hers she groaned audibly at the loss of contact. After a few steadying breaths she opened her eyes to find him staring intently at her. "Tony?"

She hadn't realized he'd pulled his arm from beneath her head until the hand came up to her face, his thumb tracing her lips. "I have to know, Ziva. I can't do this without knowing where we stand."

Her hand had moved from his cheek to his hair, but now she removed it. She reached around herself, taking the wrist of the arm wrapped around her and tugged it gently, pulling in between them. She carefully maneuvered it to place his palm on her chest, directly above her pounding heart.

"Ani ohevet otkha."

A smile played at the corners of his lips. "Ani ohev otakh."

Before she had time to be thoroughly shocked at his use of her native tongue, his lips were back on hers. This time, however, they didn't stay there long. They trailed along her jaw to her ear then down her neck. He brushed them against the sensitive spot on her collar bone and she moaned softly.

The noise seemed to exhilarate him and he repeated the action with his tongue. This time the moan that escaped her lips was loud and deep. Tony slid his tongue back up her neck, following the same path his lips had traced downward until their mouths fused once again.

One of her hands was behind his neck and the other pressed into the soft material covering his chest. It wasn't close enough. She reached for the hem, trying to pull the shirt up despite the fact that he was still laying down.

Without breaking their kiss, he sat them up. Their lips parted briefly twice, first as he removed his own shirt, then again when he pulled hers over her head. The cool air of the room caused goosebumps to spread over her skin and her nipples to tighten. She shivered more from that sensation than the temperature.

Tony, however, seemed to think she was cold and laid her back on the bed, covering her body with his and pulling the quilt back up over them both, all without breaking their kiss. She took advantage of the position to let her hands explore his torso, sliding over his back and sides, slowing several times to trace the smoother skin of one of the scars their lives had left on his body.

His hands were exploring as well. It was something they hadn't taken time for two weeks ago. His heated palms slid over her arms, back, sides, stomach, and ribs before finally cupping her breasts. She automatically arched up into his hands and moaned into his mouth at the sensation.

Her fingernails trailed around to his chest and the soft hair there then trailed down his abdomen to the waistband of his pants. She slid her fingers beneath the elastic and pushed the material down as much as she could. She wanted nothing more than to feel his skin against the length of her body, to finally have nothing between them.

He seemed to have the same need and pulled himself from her long enough to shed the remaining pieces of clothing separating them before laying his body next to her, his skin connecting with hers from chest to ankle.

He was propped on one elbow and he used his free hand to brush a few stray stands of hair out of her face as he stared at her intently. His hand wandered down her neck to her body, his touch feather light but setting her skin on fire.

She was surprised when he spoke. There was a primal tone to his voice she'd never heard before. "I meant it Ziva. I love you. And Rule 12 is being retired permanently as far as I'm concerned."

The potency of his eyes said as much as the words and there was no doubt in her mind that he'd meant every syllable. "I know, Tony. I love you too."

She didn't get a chance to say anything else. As soon as the words were out of her mouth his lips were on it. She slid one hand into his hair, pressing their lips more firmly together, as the other trailed to his back, attempting to pull him back on top of her.

He seemed to have another plan because he resisted. Instead he continued to brush his hand slowly down her body. When it reached her navel she unconsciously parted her thighs, silently encouraging him to touch her.

She didn't have to wait much longer as he lowered his hand and slid one long finger in to part her. Now it was his turn to moan as he felt exactly what he was doing to her.

This time he let her pull him on top of her, his knees landing between her thighs, mouths still connected. He shifted, bringing his tip in contact with her warmth. He held there for a moment as he pulled his face back.

Ziva opened her eyes to meet his and he shifted his hips forward, filling her and merging their souls completely.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I actually fell asleep in the middle of writing the steamy chapter. But in my own defense it was 6am. This is the last actual chapter, tiny as it is. There will be an epilogue as well then fin.

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Gibbs forced himself not to hold his breath as he brought his truck around the curve and the cabin came into view. He didn't expect his agents to have actually killed each other, but a physical fight was a distinct possibility.

His fears were short lived as he came to a stop and put the truck in park. Tony stepped through the door, carrying two backpacks and looking none the worse for wear. If it had really come to blows, Ziva would have left her mark.

He studied his protégé for a moment, intrigued. DiNozzo actually looked well rested. That wasn't something that he had entertained as a possibility. He'd fully expected to pick up two exhausted agents. Whether their fatigue had been caused by fighting or other physical activities had been the question. He hadn't expected them to sleep much at all.

He opened the door to the truck and slid out, rounding the vehicle to meet Tony as he dropped their bags in the bed.

"DiNozzo?"

The younger man turned to look at him. "Yeah, Boss?"

"Where's David?" He hadn't actually seen any sign of Ziva yet and it was starting to make him nervous.

Tony tossed a look over his shoulder at the door to the cabin. "Just finishing up. Rule 45, Boss."

Gibbs smiled at that. "You know, that rule wasn't meant for my cabin, DiNozzo. And it's not the mess that I left you out here to clean up."

A grin spread across Tony's face. "Already took care of that one, Boss."

The sound of wood on wood made him turn back to the cabin. Ziva had just pulled the door shut and was locking it. A small bag of trash sat next to her on the dirt. "Good. And Tony?"

He waited until the other man tore his eyes from his partner and met his eyes. "Don't ever forget Rules 8 and 51."

With that, he walked back around the front of his truck and climbed in. When he got home there was a slip of paper that was going to be burned. Sometimes he was wrong. And sometimes, you just have to change the rules.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: And so we come to the end. This is the fastest I've ever produced a fic of this size. Heck, my oneshot took me almost as long. I am considering a prequel fic. It would be pure smut and cover the incident from 2 weeks previous.

MN: I am being required to tell you all that this epilogue is all my doing. AJ has no responsibility for it. Bwahahahahaha.

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Smiling, he unbuckled his daughter from her carseat and gently lifted her out. She nearly always fell asleep in the car, even if the trip was a short one. Cradling her in one arm, he smoothed down a bit of her curly black hair. That had definitely come from her mother.

He had barely made it into the building when Ducky accosted him. "Is that Caitlin? I hardly recognize her and it's only been a week. She looks more like you every time I see her."

Wordlessly he handed the sleeping infant over to her honorary great grandfather. He hadn't expected to get to hold her for very long. He never did when he brought her into NCIS headquarters. The three month old would be passed around long enough for him to finish up his paperwork and find his wife. Gibbs had already told them they were on stand down for the weekend as soon as their case reports were finished and spending a weekend with his girls sounded like a great idea.

A screeching Abby broke him from his thoughts. "They're home, they're home!" She grabbed him by the hand and yanked him forward then stopped. "Wait, where's Cait?"

He rolled his eyes at her but smiled anyway. "Ducky."

"Good!" She resumed her pull on his hand and he followed her to the elevator.

When they stepped out into the bullpen he couldn't help but smile. It was Friday evening and the few people left finishing up paperwork for the week were relaxed. This included the Director who was currently chasing a dark haired three year old through the bullpen.

Suddenly the boy spotted him and came barreling towards him. "Unca Probie!"

Tim bent to scoop up his godson and hugged him tightly. "Have you been listening to your dad again, Eli? It's Tim. Uncle Tim. Not Uncle Probie."

The little boy wiggled in his grasp and he set him back on his feet. He'd been having the same argument with Tony and Ziva's son since he'd learned to talk. As the little boy ran off to resume his game of tag he felt Abby slip her hand into his.

Ducky brushed past him, handing his daughter off to Ziva and they followed. Abby hugged her best friend tightly, narrowly avoiding squishing her daughter. "How was the trip?"

Ziva smiled widely as she gently rocked the still sleeping infant. "It was wonderful. Somehow Shmeil managed to keep up with Eli. I do not know how he does it. I have trouble sometimes. That boy is every bit a DiNozzo."

Tim laughed. "Speaking of Tony, where is he? Did you leave him behind in Israel?"

Reluctantly Ziva handed the baby off to her boss as he answered. "I put him on diaper duty."

It was at that moment that he reentered the bullpen, bouncing his daughter in his arms. Abby's squeal nearly deafened him this time. "There she is. Fork her over Tony! It's been two whole weeks since I got quality time with Jenny!"

The 9 month old in the other man's arms readily reached for his wife and she swung the little girl over to her hip then moved to resume her conversation with Ziva.

Tim stood with Tony in silence for a moment, both watching their wives. They were snapped from their moment of joint reflection by firm slaps to the back of their heads and turned to face Gibbs, who was no longer holding Cait.

"You're both here because you have paperwork to take care of. The faster you get it done the faster you get them home."

Tim shook his head. Tony's paperwork had sat unfinished on his desk for two weeks. Apparently that was as long as Gibbs was willing to wait for it. As he dropped into his desk chair, he watched as Gibbs caught Eli running by and scooped him up before speaking again.

"Family barbeque at my house tomorrow. 1300. Don't be late."

With a smile, Tim turned his attention to his computer and began typing. If anyone had told him four years ago that this is what his life would be like, he would have laughed in their face. Now he couldn't imagine life any other way.

"What does this say Gampa J?" Eli was holding a framed piece of paper he'd grabbed from the top of Gibb's file cabinet while still perched in the man's arms.

"Rule 12. Love comes first."


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks to wiki/Leroy_Jethro_Gibbs/Rules for the list!

Rules used in this story:

Chapter 1  
Rule #15: Always work as a team.

Chapter 2  
Rule #7: Always be specific when you lie.

Chapter 3  
Rule #6: Never say you're sorry. It's a sign of weakness.

Chapter 4  
Rule #16: If someone thinks they have the upper hand, break it.  
Rule #1: Never let suspects stay together. (This applies only to interrogations.)  
Rule #1: Never screw over your partner. (This is the first rule for all other situations.)

Chapter 5  
Rule #12: Never date a co-worker.

Chapter 6  
Rule #45: Clean up the mess that you make.  
Rule #8: Never take anything for granted.  
Rule #51: Sometimes - you're wrong.

Chapter 7  
*This is a rule re-write done by me*  
Rule #12: Love comes first.


End file.
